Q. How do I plant a tree or shrub?

A. Dig a hole approximately 2 ½ times the diameter of the pot. The depth of the hole is measured by the actual root ball in the container (not the container depth).
Slide the plant from the container by tapping on the sides of the container to loosen the soil. Examine the root system for any signs of insects. Take a knife and loosen the soil around the roots, making it easier for the plant to establish itself in its new environment.
Put the plant in the hole and fill it halfway with a mixture of 1/3 dehydrated cow manure, 1/3; peat moss and 1/3 top soil. Water and let the soil settle. Fill again with soil until the soil is level with the ground.

Q. How do I take care of newly planted trees and shrubs?

A. After planting your shrub or tree, add mulch to prevent water from evaporating and weeds from growing. It is important to water every day for the first two weeks, then two to three times a week for the first year (depending on how much rainfall you receive).

Q. How much mulch do I need to buy?

A. Mulch is sold by the cubic yard. Measure the area you want to cover (multiply length in feet by width in feet); this gives you square feet. Decide how deep you are going to lay the mulch, then multiply that by the square feet. Take that number and divide it by 324 to get the amount of yards needed.
Example of a 10'x15' garden needed s' of mulch:
- To determine area covered: 10' by 15' bed = 150 sq ft
- To obtain square footage: if using 2" depth of mulch, 150 sq ft x 2" = 300 sq ft
- To convert to yards: 300sq ft ÷ by 324 = 0.925 yards
This garden would need 0.925 cubic yards of mulch or a little less than one bag

Q. What are Annuals?

A. Annuals are plants that live their whole life span in one season. They grow; flower, set seed and die all in one year. They flower all season and are wonderful in the garden or in containers. Tropical plants are also considered annuals as they will not survive our winters.
Click here to see recommended annuals for shade
Click here to see recommended annuals for part sun
Click here to see recommended annuals for full sun

Q. What are perennials?

A. A. Perennials are plants that take a few years to mature, some lasting 50 years or more. They flower for shorter periods of time than annuals and can be divided after becoming established.
Click here to see recommended perennials for shade
Click here to see recommended perennials for part shade
Click here to see recommended perennials for sun

Q. What does deer resistant mean?

A. Deer resistant means that a deer chooses not to eat that plant. No plants are deer proof, only deer resistant. However deer do eat some plants less than others. What deer eat depends on many factors, including how hungry they are, density of the deer population, and whether your garden is an area where they used to forage (deer are creatures of habit).
Click here to see recommended shrubs rarely damaged by deer
Click here to see recommended annuals rarely damaged by deer
Click here to see recommended perennials rarely damaged by deer

Q. do I deal with woodchucks that eat the garden?

A. Woodchucks are can be a problem in the garden because a hungry woodchuck will eat almost anything although they tend not like things that smell/have a scent. If you have a persistent problem you can't fix with flower choice, consider a live trap to capture the woodchucks and then release them in a wooded area.
(Note: It will take more than one application to change the soil's pH.)
To get a hydrangea to turn pink, add lime to the soil. This process takes time and the color may not start to change until next year.

Q. How and when do I prune hydrangeas?

A. The time to prune hydrangeas depends on the varietal that you have. If you have the big ball type or macrophylla type, then you should wait until most of the leaves leaf out and prune away all the dead wood. Some hydrangeas bloom on last year's growth (old growth) and some will bloom on this year's growth (new growth). If you prune back now you will be cutting off your flowers for this year.
If you don't know what type of hydrangea you have, wait until the leaves leaf out then prune away all the dead wood and let the plant grow all season long.

Q. What kinds of plants can be put in gardens that are exposed to road salt?

A. Gardening near a road is always a challenge with the snow salting that occurs during the winter. Your best bet is to utilize plants that tolerate salt conditions. Here's a list of plants that will tolerate salt conditions that are deer and rabbit resistant: Aquilegia (columbine) Achillea Artemesia Aastilbe Dianthus Dicentra Digitalis Heuchera Liriope Monarda Nepeta Peony Rudbeckia Santolina Sedum Stachys (lamb's ear) Vinca Minor Ornamental Grasses.

Q. I have a large bush in my garden and I am not sure what it is or how to care for it?

A. Take a picture of the bush and bring it to a Stew Leonard's garden center. One of our Garden Shop managers will take a look at it and give you some advice on how/where to trim it. Or you can attend one of our Saturday morning gardening clinics (9:00 AM) to learn great ways to care for your garden.

Q. What does N P K mean?

A. NPK refers to the three major plant nutrients provided in most fertilizers. N stands for nitrogen, which aids in the plant's greening effect. P is phosphorous, which aids in flowering, fruit and root growth. K is potassium, which affects the plant's overall health. The NPK number is the percentage of each of these nutrients in a particular fertilizer.

Q. How do I care for lilacs?

A. Lilac's grow best with at least six hours of sunlight per day. They should be pruned right after the blooms fade (if you wait until later you may be cutting off next years blooms). Lilacs should not be fertilized. (If fertilized, they will produce a lot of green growth but no blooms.) Lilacs bloom best in moist, well drained areas: no moisture, no bloom. Sometimes after transplanting they will not bloom for a year or two. Finally lilacs prefer an alkaline soil with a pH of 6 to 7 which can be made by adding lime to the ground around your lilac.

Q. Can I grow herbs indoors?

A. Yes, providing you have enough natural sunlight (or use artificial grow lamps), an indoor temperature of between 60 and 70 degrees, and good air circulation.
To start, add a layer of gravel on the bottom of your pot for drainage, and then plant your herb in a mixture of potting soil, sand and lime. Water your plants in the morning so that excess moisture can evaporate and not to cause disease. Use a weak fertilizer solution every two weeks in spring/summer and once a month in winter.